"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."
In the world we are living in, where people make self-righteous statements about what is wrong - sometimes even a stink - yet don't change their habits and walk the talk, I think of these words by Dr. King. It's not just the politicians with all of their cut-and-paste quotes onto Twitter about MLK while they simultaneously vote against preserving our democracy, it is so many things that the general public does, like:
Complaining about Jeff Bezos & Amazon, but still shopping there.
Tennis stars calling out Djokovic but still happy to play for the Australian Open which was fully prepared to let him play unvaccinated alongside them.
Newspapers publishing articles about how horrific and dangerous Zuckerberg & co are, yet still maintaining a Facebook page and even arguing that they 'need' it.
Supposedly feminist organizations using Instagram which has been proven to cause long term emotional damage to young girls.
Environmentalists driving SUVs.
Those who cry out for workplace fairness, living wages, and employment equity...then order an Uber or get delivery from Instacart or DoorDash.
People who defend known sexual predators, from Cosby to Polanski to Allen to Jackson to Trump, whether it be by trashing their victims or by continuing to watch their movies, listen to their music, support their politics, or invite them into their homes, claiming their heinous crimes can be separated from their 'art' or what-not.
In 2022, let us walk the talk. In our businesses, in our careers, in our personal lives. Let us all be more mindful about the decisions we make, more outspoken, and more action-oriented. We don't have all the time in the world, and life can be cut short at any moment. So be the change, walk the talk, and stand up for what is right through our wallets, our words and our actions. Carpe diem.
“When you’re young, you have a big old reel of that tape left, right? And so it appears to revolve slowly. Then, time passes, and there’s less and less tape left on the reel. It spins faster. It spins faster.”
~ Keanu Reeves